[비즈한국] The Korea Art Promotion Project, which began as an initiative solely to support artists, has been running for 10 years. Keeping true to our original intentions, we have supported over 230 artists. It was a unique endeavor, the likes of which no domestic media outlet, cultural organization, or state agency had ever attempted. We take pride in the fact that this decade of persistence has been etched into the 21st-century Korean art scene as a distinct value. Consequently, the project is recognized for having created a viewpoint from which to observe the flow of contemporary Korean art through its 10-year history. Now, in Season 11, we aim to pave another path for Korean art.
The term "contemporary art" became popularized starting in the 20th century. In art history, this category is an era of an excess of "isms," a department store-style phenomenon brought about by the chaotic development of forms. Even a rough selection of the "isms" that appeared in art history during the last century amounts to over 50.
Among these, abstract art and pop art are the ones that still exert influence in 21st-century art. Abstract art has found new avenues by maintaining a symbiotic relationship with design. Thus, the sensibilities of abstract art have become a part of modern life.
Pop art has survived as a powerful method of contemporary art by donning the clothes of the mass culture era. Pop art is a type of figurative art that began in the UK in the 1950s and bore fruit in the US. Since the Renaissance, Western art has regarded "novelty" as its highest value. This was tolerated in the name of "progress," no matter what form it took. Pop art used this very concept of "progress" and "novelty" as a weapon to elevate popular sentiment to the ranks of high art.
The aesthetic logic behind pop art was that art should be something enjoyed by everyone in the public. If everyone is to own and enjoy artworks, they must be affordable and easily accessible. Techniques such as "imitation," "appropriation," and "reproduction" are ways to make art cheap and common.
Accordingly, pop art argues that original art—one-of-a-kind pieces—no longer holds value (denying the uniqueness of art), and that original artistic creation is out of sync with the spirit of the times (denying the originality of art).
Instead of uniqueness and originality, pop art venerates pop culture icons, commercial advertising images that promote consumption, disposable items that make modern life convenient, and mass media such as comics and newspapers. Therefore, pop artists believe that art should not be "created" as a spiritual crystallization of an artist's agony, but rather be easily reproduced and mass-produced.
Among these subjects, comic images have been a motif for many artists. Disney cartoons or Japanese animation are representative examples. Familiar figures such as Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry, or Astro Boy and Dragon Ball are common motifs. Among Korean artists as well, one can often find those who have carved out their own pop art territory using such imagery.
Kim In is one such artist. He uses images of contemporary superheroes as the motif for his work. Superman or Astro Boy are images the artist favors. In particular, he has gained attention for developing the image of Astro Boy's fist as his own painterly language.
In his works, the image of Astro Boy's fist is repeated, filling the canvas. Another attraction of his work is how he captures the viewer's gaze with vibrant colors. Through this, he says he is "projecting the difficult journey of his own life onto the fist of Astro Boy." What he has discovered in the image of Astro Boy is the courage or strength to overcome hardship.